Eyeshield



March 1952 F. e. GAY,-JR., ETAL EYESHIELD Filed May 31, 1951 FIG. I

INVENTOR. FRED 6. GAY JR. BY DONALD J. McCULLOCH fizm/ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1952 EYESHIELD Fred G. Gay, Jr., Greece, and Donald J. Mc-

Culloch, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 31, 1951, Serial No. 229,008

This invention relates to eyeshields and. more particularly it has reference to eyeshields which embody integral, transparent plastic lens members which protect both eyes of the wearer.

' The plastic lens members in such eyeshields usually have on their lower edges cut-away or reentrant portions which are adapted to straddle or fit over the nose of the wearer. Since the lens members are relatively thin, the edges of the cutaway portion would dig into the skin on the nose unless a guard means is provided. Plastic members of this type are usually supported from a bar frame member and hence the central portion of the lens member may sag downwardly.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an eyeshield of the type described which will overcome the above-named difficulties. Another object is to provide an eyeshield which will be simple in structure and capable of being made and assembled with a minimum of labor. A further object is to provide an eyeshield of the type described having a frame member and a nose engaging portion formed integral therewith so as to fit under the edge of the nose straddling portion of the lens member. These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an eyeshield embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with temples broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken online 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal view taken on line 4-4- of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of the frame.

A preferred embodiment of our invention is shown on the drawings wherein l0 indicates, generally, a goggle or eyeshield embodying the transparent plastic lens member I I which is formed of a single piece of material so that it affords protection for both eyes of the wearer. Extending along the top edge and partially down the temporal edges of the lens member II is the bar l2 which serves as a frame member. The inner side of the bar l2 has a continuous groove l3 which extends from one end of the bar to the other end and forms a seat for the top and temporal edges of the lens member II. The rear side of bar I2 is formed with a flange 14 which is adapted to engage the wearers head.

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-14) Each of the temporal portions of bar 12 is provided with an opening l5 which intersects the groove l3 and receives the projection l6 formed on each of the temporal edges of the lens member I l The bar I2 is formed of any suitable material such as plastic so that the temporal portions thereof may be flexed or sprung so as to permit the insertion of the projections I6 in the openings H3. The resilience of the bar will, therefore, hold the projections in openings l5 so that the lens member is thereby detachably held in the bar or frame member l2.

Projecting downwardly from the bar I2, and located behind the lens member II, is the bridge element I! which carries at its lower end an inverted U-shaped portion 18 which is adapted to straddle the wearers nose. Nose engaging surfaces l9, which extend rearwardly from portion l8, provide a smooth, comfortable nose rest 20 for the eyeshield. The front side of portion I8 has a rabbeted edge 20 which provides a seat to receive the parts of the lens member I I which are adjacent to the centrally disposed re-entrant or cut-away portion 2| formed on the lower edge of the lens member II. The sharp edges of the reentrant portion 2| on the lens member II are thereby held so that they do not come in contact with the wearers nose. The lens member H is also prevented from sagging or dropping away from the groove l 3 because the re-entrant portion 2| straddles the inverted U-shaped portion I8 on the element IT. The usual temples 22 are pivotally carried at the temporal ends of the bar l2.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we are able to attain the objects of our invention and Provide an improved type of eyeshield. The bar [2 is preferably made of molded plastic with the bridge element I'l integrally formed therewith. The plastic lens member ll may be readily removed from or inserted in the bar l2 without the use of tools since it is only necessary to fit the lens member II in the groove and fiex one end of the bar I2 so that the projections 16 will fit into the openings 15. Various modifications may obviously be made without departing from the spirit of our invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An eyeshield comprising an integral lens member adapted to protect both eyes of the wearer and having a re-entrant portion adapted to fit over the wearers nose, a bar extending along the top and partially down the sides of said member, the inner side of the bar being provided with a groove in which the adjacent edge of the lens member is seated, means for holding the lens member in the groove, a bridge element lying behind the lens member and centrally disposed between the ends of the bar and extending downwardly therefrom, an inverted U-shaped portion at the lower end of the element adapted to fit over the nose of the wearer, nose engaging surfaces extending rearwardly from the U-shaped portion, the front side of the U-shaped portion having a rabbeted edge on which is seated the re-entrant portion of the lens member.

2. An eyeshield comprising an integral plastic transparent lens member adapted to protect both eyes of the wearer, said lens member having integral projections on its temporal edges, a resilient bar extending along the top edge of the lens member and partially down the temporal edges thereof. the bar having on its inner face a continuous groove in which the top and upper temporal edge portions of the lens member are seated, the temporal portions of the bar ha-Vingopenings wherein said projections are held by the resilience of the bar, a central element projecting downwardly from the bar behind the lens member, the lower part of said element having an inverted U-shaped portion adapted to fit over the nose of the wearer,

rearwardly extending nose engaging surfaces on the U-shaped portion and a rabbeted edge on the 4 front side of the U-shaped portion forming a seat for the adjacent edge of the lens member.

3. In an eyeshield having an integral lens member provided with a re-entrant portion adapted to fit over the wearer's nose and a bar extending along the top edge of the lens member, the combination of a bridge element positioned behind the lens member and depending from the bar, the lower end of the element having an inverted U- shaped portion adapted to straddle the wearer's nose, nose engaging surfaces extending rearwardly from the last-named portion, and a rabbeted edge on the front side of the last-named portion on which is seated the re-entrant portion of the lens member.

FRED G. GAY, JR. DONALD J. MCCULLOCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,388,635 Ditto Nov. 6, 1945 2,444,498 Cochran July 6, 1948 2,446,048 Kimball July 27, 1948 

